1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information transfer apparatus and method for transferring information among a plurality of information recording and reproducing apparatuses. More particularly, the present invention relates to an information transfer apparatus and method capable of transferring information among a variety of information recording and reproducing apparatuses including an optical disk apparatus, such as a CD-R (Compact Disk-Recordable), a CD-RW (Compact Disk-Rewritable), a DVD-RAM (Digital Versatile-Random Access Memory) and a PD (Phase Change Optical Disk), an optical magnetic disk apparatus, such as a MO (Magnetic Optical Disk), a magnetic disk apparatus, such as a HD (Hard Disk), a FD (Floppy Disk), a LSI (Large Scaled Integrated circuit) and a ZIP (TM), a memory card recording and reproducing apparatus, such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), an optical memory and a magnetic memory, and a magnetic tape recording and reproducing apparatus.
2. Discussion of the Background
Recently, a variety of recording mediums for recording information are widely used along with a spread of a personal computer and a variety of digital input/output Apparatuses. Further, as shown in the Japanese Patent application Laid Open No. 6-301601 as one example, there exists heretofore an information recording apparatus which stores information inputted from an information providing apparatus in a buffer, and then stores the same in a plurality of the same kind of recording medium pieces having a relatively slower recording speed characteristic so that the information can be recorded in a high speed in the recording medium pieces.
However, as a recording medium diversifies, an information recording and reproducing apparatus installed in computers diversifies correspondingly. Therefore, a kind of the information recording and reproducing apparatus is sometimes different from another, even if the computer adopts the same architecture.
Further, since there are recording mediums of a high price, such as a memory card, and of a low price, such as an optical disk including a CD-R or the like, it is generally required to lower a total cost of storing of information by moving information to a cheaper recording medium. However, there is a difficulty in the conventional information recording apparatus in executing communication of information among different kinds of recording mediums.
The present invention, therefore, addresses and resolves such problems and provides a novel information transfer apparatus including a casing arranged to include at least two sections accommodating a variety of information recording and reproducing apparatuses, respectively a transfer device may be arranged to transfer information from one of the information recording and reproducing apparatuses to the other, and a controller may be arranged to control an information transfer operation using information transfer control program realizing an information transfer operation among the variety of information recording and reproducing apparatuses.
In another embodiment, a controller may read information transfer program stored in an information recording and reproducing apparatus before a start of the information transfer operation.
In yet another embodiment, a -selecting device may be arranged to select one or more information recording and reproducing apparatuses as information transfer sources, and one or more the other information recording and reproducing apparatuses as information transfer destinations.
In yet another embodiment, the selecting device may select one or more information recording and reproducing apparatuses in a prescribed priority order.
In yet another embodiment, a priority may be given to a most frequently utilized information recording and reproducing apparatus as an information transfer source.
In yet another embodiment, a recording medium existence determining device may be arranged to determine if a recording medium having information to be transferred exists in the information recording and reproducing apparatus as a supposed information transfer source.
In yet another embodiment, another recording medium existence determining device may be arranged to determine if a recording medium recording information therein exists in the information recording and reproducing apparatus as a supposed information transfer destination.
In yet another embodiment, an information transfer completion determining device may be arranged to determine completion of the information transfer operation.
In yet another embodiment, a replacement instructing device may be arranged to instruct a replacement of the prescribed information recording and reproducing apparatus, if it does not includes the information transfer program.
In yet another embodiment, a plurality of ports may be arranged to connect with a host computer, a printer, and the other external digital input/output instruments.